Dealing with food allergies and how your pharmacy can help.

Normally, I try to give advice that combines the benefits of my education, work experience, and living with food allergies, but today I want to talk about a frustration I have with a gap in medical knowledge and what appears to be a gap in medical research.

As I have written in other posts and the “about me” section of this blog, my son, E, is severely allergic to eggs, soy, peanuts, and four kinds of tree nuts. During my pregnancy with him, I was sick. Very sick. One month I lost between 15 and 20 lbs due to vomiting. TMI, I know, but this severity coupled with 1. my mother’s account of becoming extremely sick every time she drank milk while pregnant with my milk-allergic sister 2. similar social media anecdotes and 3. E’s subsequent food allergy diagnoses lead me to a question: Was the reason I was so sick while pregnant with E because I was eating food to which he was already allergic?

Several years ago, while pregnant with A, my second child, I tried to convince the OB/GYN to write a script for allergy testing–just a simple blood sample, nothing that would jeopardize the pregnancy or cause an allergic reaction on or in my body. I wondered if my sample would test positive while pregnant with an allergic child whereas normally I am not allergic. Of course I wouldn’t know if this child would be allergic until later and I would need another blood test to compare; I would also need a food-reaction journal among other things. Regardless, I wanted to test my theory. I don’t think the doctor understood what I was trying to do exactly (or maybe he thought I was crazy). He repeatedly told me that I needed to wait to test for “my” allergies until after the pregnancy. In the end, I did not have the allergy testing and, so far, A is not allergic although she does have some skin issues. I was still very sick while pregnant with A but nothing like the extremes of E’s pregnancy. So my questions remain. The article reignited my thoughts on the subject.

The study is investigating whether the allergy development is due to maternal influence (weight, diet, smoking, etc) on predisposed genes. Certainly, this aspect bears much investigation.

But, what if the genetics of the child (i.e the allergy within the baby) influence the eating habits, activity, weight (obviously not smoking) of the mother during pregnancy? In these cases, could maternal eating habits and diets be the result of the “allergic” pregnancy as opposed to the allergy being the result of the maternal diet? Perhaps it’s both; a predisposed genetic mechanism catalyzed by a diet that then becomes unsustainable due to the developed allergy of the unborn child.

To be clear, I am not talking about the typical cravings, food aversions, and nausea/vomiting of pregnancy; I am talking about extreme and/or specific cases.

To further extrapolate: Could my idea, if proven correct, lead to earlier childhood diagnosis and anaphylaxis prevention by utilizing a simple prenatal maternal allergy screening process?

This very question is the crux of my theory. If a simple blood test could prescreen for significant allergic reaction then the children could be saved the months and years of itchy rashes, breathing problems, misdiagnoses, and unnecessary medications. The mothers could avoid offending foods while pregnant and breastfeeding, thus potentially eliminating signs and symptoms in both themselves and their child. Avoidance and prevention of anaphylaxis in this population would be amazing.

Of course all this is just a theory (not even a scientifically based theory) of mine established on anecdotes of pregnancy illness vs food allergies discovered early in a child’s life, including my own. This theory also does not address those that develop allergies later in life. I would love to test my theory informally via a large-scale questionnaire or poll. Maybe I will one day, but for now: What have been your experiences while pregnant with your allergic child? Were there any noticeable differences between allergic and non-allergic sibling pregnancies?

This study published in June 2016 in the Pediatric Allergy and Immunology Journal demonstrated that allergens are detectible in amniotic fluid. This exposure in utero could explain why a child may have sensitization to food he/she has never eaten.

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I have even been told (just a few weeks ago as a matter of fact) about a woman who developed a latex allergy while pregnant (the mother was an EMT). The baby was born prematurely and was admitted to the NICU with complications; the doctors immediately recognized that the baby had a severe latex allergy.

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The art and science of medicine is always changing. Just like we read ingredient labels before each purchase because recipes change, inactive ingredients in medications change and studies discover new links and interactions. We must be vigilant with medications just as we would with food. Any information discussed should be verified with your healthcare provider as you and your provider decide what is best for your particular situation. Ultimately, I want everyone to use this information as a jumping off point to speak with your pharmacist, allergist, etc., to open lines of communication, and to ask the questions that need to be addressed with regards to food allergies and medications. You are your best advocate. Education is the key.